The Cost Of Suicide
by Ravenclaws-do-it-better
Summary: Did you know suicide came with a price? The story of those who unknowingly paid it. Rated M for suicide and mentions of rape.


Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/ Black Butler or any of the characters.

Warnings for this story: suicide, rape

There once were two children, who lived very long ago, in a town that no longer exists. The merchant's son and the tailor's daughter so the story goes.

They say he was in love with her, the merchant's boy, everyone knew it, they could tell by the pretty ribbons he brought to her for her to tie in her hair. They knew she loved him too, the tailor's girl, by how she tied the pretty red ribbon the color of rubies ( _the color of blood_ ) in his hair in return on the day his hair tie broke.

(They were wrong)

The town knew the two would end up together, everyone could tell, by the way the two went to the forest together when they were young and wild, free from the trappings and duties of adulthood. The two would run to the woods when they could, when they weren't learning their duties; he to take over his father's company as duty of the eldest son and she to be his perfect wife.

(They didn't know the pretty dresses she would bring, nor who the ribbons were truly for, in the end no one did)

The gossips' favorite topic was the two lovebirds, they speculated when he would ask her father to court her, how grand the wedding would be, they were a small village and the merchant the richest in town, their wedding would be a grand thing. They wondered how pretty her dress would be and the color of the ribbon she would tie in her hair. Everyone knew the two were in love except the lovers themselves.

(But in the end there would be no wedding, the story says, and isn't that a tragedy itself?)

But the children grew and took on their jobs, no longer going into the woods.

(No more freedom, for either of them)

The old crones waited with bated breath for the day they would make their love official.

(No one knew of how he dreamed, of the blacksmith's boy and pretty things, how those big strong arms would feel wrapped around _her_ )

(No one knew of how she dreamed, of the baker's girl and pointy things, fighting for a living for them)

It never mattered in the end I suppose, for all good things must come to an end.

The crones were celebrating and the gossips afire, with news of the two lovers together at last. He'd asked her father, they whispered, I wonder when the wedding will be, she'll make such a lovely bride and he such a handsome groom.

The town watched as the lovers roamed, walking the streets at dusk. The sky grew darker and the people went in but still the two stayed out.

(It was a mistake)

They walked and talked about useless things, listening as the townspeople readied for bed as he returned her to her father.

(They should have walked faster)

They passed the tavern, the only such place in the town.

(Their final mistake)

She screamed as she was grabbed, but the hand over her mouth quieted it before it left her throat. He, too, was quickly grabbed before he let out a yell to wake the town.

They fought, trying to get away, struggling against their captors as the man ripped at the front of her dress.

He pushed her down.

Her head cracked on the ground and she didn't move.

He could only watch as her pretty hair ribbon (green, like emeralds, like her eyes that were open and staring so horribly empty as if it were an accusation) slowly changed to match his own (a red like rubies, a red like _blood_ ).

The men realized what had happened slowly, but were too drunk to care. They turned to the only other in their grasp.

(Pretty enough, they supposed, with long, long hair, and soft pale skin, he would do)

How sad, how tragic, the old crones cried, two lovers separated and no one to blame.

(No one but his father knew, what had happened that night, after all he couldn't have a _weak son_ )

At least they're together, became their call.

They had found the merchant's son, hanging from the rafters held up only by the pretty hair ribbons meant for _her_.

May they find the happiness in death they did not in life, the old priest droned and the gossips mourned, they would have liked to see the wedding.

Grell Sutcliff sneered, a ribbon clutched in his fist. After all, suicide had a cost.

He turned away on his heel and no one noticed as the two ribbons fell to the ground, both the color of blood.

* * *

A/N: So, this is a one-shot/ maybe series of one-shots about how the shinigami we know (and maybe love) came to be themselves. I saw/ heard somewhere that the Shinigami in Kuroshitsuji are Shinigami as punishment for committing suicide. I'm not one-hundred percent certain so don't quote me on that but I thought it was such an interesting concept. Why would they do it? How does this shape them? Do they regret it?

If you couldn't tell this chapter is Grell. He was transgender but knew he wouldn't be accepted. The "tailor's daughter" was a lesbian who also knew she wouldn't be accepted. They became friends when they were younger and admitted these things only to each other. After hir death ne tried to act like a man as was expected of nem but eventually didn't really give a shit and became the effeminate reaper we've come to know today.

Question: should I have used female pronouns in the paragraph above? That might get slightly confusing with the "tailor's daughter" schtick thrown in there so random gender neutral pronouns that I know it is instead.

Please Review and tell me what you think lovelies

~Miss Claw


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